1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to aseptic battery transfer. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for the aseptic transfer of a battery assembly between a battery charger and surgical instrument while maintaining the sterility of the surgical instrument.
2. Background of Related Art
Battery-powered surgical instruments are advantageous in that they obviate the need for cables coupling the device to an electrical outlet or external power source. A typical rechargeable battery assembly for a battery-powered surgical instrument includes a housing containing one or more battery cells coupled to one another via a powering circuit through which the battery assembly is able to provide electrical power to the surgical instrument and receive electrical power from a charger.
Maintaining sterility in a surgical environment reduces the likelihood of infection and helps prevent the spread of disease. In order to maintain a sterile surgical environment, surgical instrumentation is sterilized and maintained in sterile condition prior to entering the sterile surgical environment. Reusable surgical instruments, or reusable components of surgical instruments, are thus required to be sterilized, e.g., via autoclaving, using a Sterrad® system, etc., after each use and/or prior to re-entering the sterile surgical environment.
Rechargeable battery assemblies require charging intermediately during use, after each use, or after several uses. Transfer of these rechargeable battery assemblies between the charging area and the surgical environment typically involves multiple transitions and/or points at which contamination may occur. Further, many of the rechargeable battery assemblies used in conjunction with surgical instrumentation are unfit for standard sterilization techniques, e.g., autoclaving. Accordingly, the ability to aseptically transfer the rechargeable battery assemblies between the charging area and the surgical environment is desirable.